Vampires and Witches and Ghosts, Oh My
by Ladykestrel
Summary: Brass gets to be off on Halloween for a change but is he prepared for the tricks or treats that await him?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: "CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and (c) by ANTHONY E. ZUIKER, JERRY BRUCKHEIMER Television, CBS Worldwide Inc., Alliance Atlantis Corporation, CSI Productions and CBS Productions, All Rights Reserved. This is a purely an outlet of creative writing inspired by a superb TV series and out of respect for my favorite actor, Paul Guilfoyle.

A/N: Brass gets to be off on Halloween for a change but is he prepared for the tricks or treats that await him? This is a funny and fluffy outing dedicated to Mr. Guilfoyle, as I see no other actor qualified to play Jim Brass as he does, in my ever try to be humble opinion.

Acknowledgements: "What if it All Goes Right" sung by Melissa Lawson, written by Tania Hancheroff, Tammy Hyler, and Shaye Smith.

Episode Influences: None.

Rated: K

"Vampires and Witches and Ghosts, Oh My!

October 30th Morning

Brass' shift was finished. He'd had to drive to the crime scene with an unmarked unit when he'd found his Dodge Charger had a flat at the LVPD. Great way to start work he'd grumbled but he would simply change the right rear tire when he got back. At least it hadn't been a blow-out flying down the I-15 so he was thankful for that. Iris had been the CSI Grissom assigned to the same case on East Tropicana and had offered to drive him back and he'd accepted. They were in route now in her Bronco.

"Weird case tonight," Brass commented.

"Considering it's almost Halloween, yes," Iris agreed.

"I mean it's not everyday you hear about a guy wearing only a sheet with a .38 try to rob The Gun Store at closing. Like the shift manager wouldn't be packing!" Jim exclaimed.

"Full moon effect I'm sure but definitely not a friendly ghost," Iris concurred with a dry chuckle.

"There you go," Brass grinned. "No way to ID the spook though since all he had was the gun and no sign of a car in the immediate vicinity."

"I'll get a set of prints at the morgue and see if we get lucky if he's a repeat customer," Iris said looking sideways at him.

The other plus to Brass in this situation was he got a chance to talk with Iris one-on-one. They generally were around one another during working a case, bumping into each other at the lab, or on the occasions where the team went to eat after the shift was over. What had changed since her joining Grissom's CSI team were more get-togethers, like bowling or a cookout, where Brass was always welcome to be a part of, but he'd come to like Iris' company, especially her dry wit and sense of humor.

The parking spot next to Brass' car was vacant and Iris pulled in to take it.

"There you go, sir, Iris' taxi is always at your service," Iris said as they got out and she added the flair of a slight bow.

"Thanks…I don't have a tip though," Brass said.

"I'll collect it later," Iris smiled cryptically with a wink. "I'm headed in to submit the evidence and then home so see you later."

"Yeah, later," Jim said, glancing back at the flat tire that would have to wait changing while he headed inside for his office to start his report on the case he and Iris were now working.

It was just before dawn now and Brass had gotten the initial part of his report started. He'd stopped in the crime lab to see where Iris was with things. She'd nicknamed their robber "Casper" and was working on getting a set of prints from the body laid out on a morgue gurney and otherwise covered with a white sheet again except for the exposed forearms and hands.

Using the ink roller, she carefully inked the pad of each finger and set the white paper beneath to roll the thumb and four fingers against the paper to make a clean and legible set of prints for submission into the AFIS for identification of the unknown robber. Her attention was totally focused.

Jim observed this and couldn't resist, walked quietly up behind her, then jokingly said into her ear, "BOO!"

Poor Iris was so startled the ink roller went flying and Jim nearly ended up with a handprint from the dead man on the sleeve of his suit jacket. Her eyes went wide as she found him to be the source of her adrenalin rush.

"Thanks a lot, Jim, now I gotta start all over again let alone get a change in undies," she fumed at him and then looked at the smeared streaks where neat fingerprints should have been.

Brass was laughing so hard it took him several moments to get his breath back.

Doc Robbins was happening by and saw the frustrated CSI shaking her head at Jim. "What mischief is this?"

"Jim here is getting his Halloween jollies early and scared the heebie jeebies out of me," Iris complained with a frown at Brass.

"You hardly ever come down here, Jim, given the fact bodies give you the willies," Doc said dryly.

"You got me dead to rights there, Doc," Brass said straight-faced, eliciting a groan from Iris and rolled eyes from Doc Robbins.

"Jim, with your permission, may I resume trying to get this poor schmuck's prints?" Iris asked tartly.

"He's all yours. Let me know if you get lucky with AFIS," Jim said drolly.

"Yeah, me getting lucky, like that's gonna happen anytime soon," Iris muttered with her back to him but he'd heard her and cocked an eyebrow her way with an astonished expression.

Doc Robbins saw Jim's curious look but said nothing since he didn't overhear her comment. He raised his cane in a salute of farewell to Brass before he headed toward his office.

Jim left the morgue in silence but not without a backward look or two at the figure resolutely bent over the body to redo the finger prints.

* * * * *

Iris was back in the crime lab with a decent set of fingerprints she'd gotten from "Casper." She found herself hoping that Brass didn't think she was truly peeved at him because she wasn't easy to sneak up on. With a wry grin, she admitted that he'd done a good job not only at doing that but also giving her an old-fashioned scared out of her britches feeling. After submitting the fingerprints for scanning into the AFIS, she sat back and decided to wait a bit to see if there was a hit. Mandy Webster, the lab fingerprint tech, saw Iris and stopped by.

"Hey, Iris, long night?"

"Eh, yes and no. My outcall was to a 419 robbery suspect who tried to hold up a gun shop over on Tropicana. Get this, the fella's wearing nothing but a sheet and comes in to hold up the place. He's brandishing a gun and demanding money, then points his .38 at the manager. The manager thinks shoot first ask questions later so kablammo and vaya con Dios. Brass is working up mug shots while I do AFIS patrol so maybe we'll meet somewhere in the middle," Iris said as she watched the computer monitor continuing to scan prints on file.

"You know this could take a while so tell you what if it gets a hit I can call you," Mandy suggested.

"Wow, would you? That'd be great because I am tapped," Iris considered while she stifled a yawn.

"Sure, glad to…" Mandy began to say when the flashing on the monitor caught their eye.

Iris gave Mandy a slow smile as she said, "Bingo, jackpot, paydirt!"

"I'd say lady luck is smiling on you because I've seen that thing run for hours before getting a match," Mandy observed.

* * * * *

Jim wanted to take a break from the laptop, sipping at coffee that was more like thick tar and just as bitter. He was nearly finished with his initial report and reviewing it, taking a moment to rub at tired eyes.

"Jim?"

Brass opened his weary eyes to spy Iris standing in the doorway with a steaming cup held in each hand and a manila folder under one arm. He greeted her with a broad grin. "Look what the angels have brought!"

Iris' eyes dropped shyly for a moment before she walked on in and set the cups on his desk along with the folder. "I think you take it with a creamer and two sugars and it's out of a fresh pot. I opted for hot chocolate myself. By the way, we scored on the suspect's prints."

"You're spoiling me, Iris! Who has Casper turned out to be?" Brass asked as he blew at the steaming liquid and slowly took a sip. "Ahhh, that hits the spot."

"His name is Zachariah Fowler. He's a local who's got minors on his record. Last known address was off the far end of the strip. He has a history of bipolar disorder and, typically, his scrapes with the LVPD have been when he went off his meds. As long as he was on them he could keep a job and a place to live, but once off the pills and his manic phase hit he loses the job and the place to stay. His doctor will have his office send over the appropriate documentation to affirm this later this morning. Doc Robbins will send off the appropriate blood work to confirm he was off his meds. To top things off, the gun wasn't registered to him and has a filed off serial number but I'm going to redo the acid etch and hope to recover it," Iris summarized as Brass scanned the contents of the folder with a confirming nod.

"His being a minor leaguer is probably why he didn't stand out to me straight off. Looks like we won't have to do very much more to close this case out then between us," Jim sighed gratefully. "As it is, I get to go out now and change a flat on my car."

"Do you need any help?" Iris asked as he handed her the file back.

"You can hang out and give me moral support," Brass said while he shut his laptop down and got up to go retrieve his jacket from the closet.

"It should be pretty close to sunup now but sure I'll stick around. I can drop the file off on our way out," Iris said as they left his office.

* * * *

Nick had run into Iris in the locker area as his own part of the shift was ending. He'd been sent to a dumpster where a 419 had been found when a trash truck had gone to empty it. "Iris, you should've seen it, the vic was dressed up like Tinker Bell but in a more sleazy fashion. When the trash truck driver gets the hydraulic lifts engaged and the dumpster is raising up over his cab, out flies the "fairy" and lands splat on his windshield! Scared the mess outta him for sure!"

"Sounds bizarre like the case I'm working up with Jim. The guy was only wearing a sheet and tried to rob a gun store. Needless to say he's now truly a ghost I suppose if I believed in such," Iris said wryly.

"It's supposed to be a full moon tomorrow night and with it being Halloween, I guess that makes it all the more appropriate. Are you going to the lab party?" Nick asked with a wide grin.

"You know I've got tomorrow night off but I'm thinking I'll just lay low at home and watch scary movies and hand out treats to the neighbor kids. I'm considering making my world-famous peanut M&M popcorn balls," Iris replied while they walked down the hall toward the parking lot.

"I'm going to the party as Dracula and hoping Wendy lets me take a bite or maybe the new girl working in audiovisual because Archie says it'd be worth it," Nick attempted a Bela Lugosi accent but his Texas twang overrode it.

"My Nickers is never lacking for female companionship," Iris laughed. "Perhaps you should go as Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror. I can so see you in stiletto heels and fishnet stockings and those pouting lips in ruby-red lipstick."

"Uh, no," Nick declared with an emphatic shake of his head.

"Darn, I'd just about pay to see that," Iris said with an affectionate poke in his ribs.

They came out by Brass' car which he had just finished jacking up. His shirt sleeves were rolled up and he was starting to remove the lug nuts from the tire and the struggle was causing him to let choice word after choice word fly. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and rolled profusely down his cheeks.

"You son of a…," Jim growled and went to wipe the sweat away when he felt a moistened towlette placed in his hand. He looked up at Iris who gave him a sympathetic smile as he mopped his forehead dry. "I picked a bad day to wear a white dress shirt."

"You need help, Brass man?" Nick offered.

"Naw, Stokes, I got it under control, besides Iris can taxi me if needed, but thanks anyway," Jim replied.

"Okay, have a good three-day, see you Monday," Nick drawled before he left them.

"You got three days off? How'd you manage that you lucky so-and-so?" Iris inquired with a disapproving look that Brass could tell was for show. "You should consider taking your shirt off before you mess it up changing the tire."

Jim gave her a "why didn't I think of that" look before unbuttoning his shirt and handing it to her. He wore a sleeveless muscle T-shirt underneath and Iris noted his St. Michael's medallion worn on a sterling silver chain. The patron saint of police officers she remembered. "Rank has its privileges…actually, I was due and no one else had requested it."

Iris nodded before neatly folding his shirt and putting it in the front seat of the Dodge Charger. She sat down on the curb beside him as he wrestled with the tire and pulled it off to let it fall over with a loud thud. She then stood up briefly to go roll the spare around to him. He looked grateful for the help.

"You going to the lab Halloween party tomorrow night?" she asked him while she pulled at some blades of grass growing up between the curb and sidewalk.

"Nope, no plans whatsoever and parties aren't my deal anyway, so you going?" Brass inquired as she sequentially handed him lug nuts as he put the spare tire on.

"Just hanging out at home and putting up Halloween decorations before the little trick or treaters come calling," Iris answered when he took the last nut and tightened it in place with the lug wrench.

"Sounds fun. There that should hold me until I can get the car to Discount Tire," Brass concluded as he took the car off the jack and put the flat tire and jack in the trunk. Iris then produced more of the moistened towlettes to let him clean up while she retrieved his shirt.

"Thanks, Iris, you're a big help," Jim smiled at her while he put his shirt back on.

"See you 'round," Iris said and turned to get in her Bronco.

Jim waved as he got in and started his car up not knowing what was about to result from such a simple everyday action.

* * * * *

Iris had just put her backpack purse in the passenger seat, gave Jim a final wave, got ready to start her Bronco when she heard Brass start up his car first only to hear a high-pitched banshee shriek come from under the hood of the Dodge Charger. She saw Brass immediately cut the engine and get out of his car looking as pale as…

"Jim, you look white as a ghost!" Iris cried as she hopped out of the Bronco and ran to his side.

They both now heard the frantic mewing and stared at each other.

"Sounds like you picked up a stowaway," Iris observed.

"I'm half scared to open the hood. There could be pureed cat under there!" Jim exclaimed anxiously.

"Well, it can't stay under there. We need to see if it's okay or not. I've got a towel and box in the Bronco. Can you help me?" Iris asked as she headed to get what she needed.

"Yeah, sure," Jim answered as he took his shirt off yet again.

Two patrol officers on motorcycles stopped to whistle and yell "take it off" suggestively at Brass who rolled his eyes and placed on his right hand in the elbow crook of his left arm. He then raised his left arm with fist clenched in a gracefully fluid motion aimed at the patrolmen. The men laughed uproariously at Brass' action before saluting him and leaving.

He found Iris standing expectantly with the box and towel and also a blanket as she'd observed his response to the motorcycle officers.

"Very classy move, Jim," she murmured with a chuckle as she went by him and went to spread the blanket on the ground. She started to skinny underneath the car when Brass' arm pinned her as he lay down beside her. He had his flashlight in the other hand.

"Let's do this smart, okay? The cat could be hurt and hard to get to let alone try to handle if it's in pain," Jim told her bluntly.

"You shine the light and I'll do the rest. I used to have cats as pets," Iris retorted matter-of-factly.

"Not me. Closest I had to pets were aquarium fish," Jim said while he turned on the flashlight as they peered up through the engine compartment to home in on the location of the piteous meows which seemed to be coming from every direction.

"Shine your light there, Jim, over a little to the right," Iris directed as the flashlight's beam illuminated fur.

"Yup, the rascal's up in the air conditioner system," Brass grunted as he took the towel to try and reach for their foot-footed fugitive.

"Hang on, Bwana Brass, if I may," Iris took the towel back and made soothing sounds. "Here kitty, kitty…here puss, puss, puss."

Iris reached up carefully with the towel, thankful that the engine was still cold, but their quarry had other plans as it slipped from her attempt to seize it and landed on Brass' chest as he and his prisoner locked eyes. Iris turned to follow and covered it with the towel, Brass yelping in discomfort as claws penetrated his T-shirt. Her head collided with his to add insult to injury as they both said "ouch" in unison, but their prey was held secure in the thick terry material of the towel.

They scooted out from under the car simultaneously and sat up slowly as one. Iris then gingerly pulled their captive's paws from Jim's T-shirt carefully. She then mummy-wrapped their prisoner more securely in the towel, then turned it for Jim to see.

Peering back at them defiantly with ice-blue eyes was a coal-black kitten that was hissing and spitting with a batting forepaw that had slipped out of the towel in a desperate try to escape before it began to meow loudly in protest at being held against its will. Jim rubbed at his chest absentmindedly. "Little cat's got a set of lungs, don't it?"

"Did you get scratched?" Iris asked out of concern, using her free hand to pull Jim's T-shirt open to see if the skin was broken. Her fingertips were gentle as she examined his chest closely and they explored the hairy surface she found to be ticklish.

"I don't think so. I just barely felt the claws going in," Jim answered while he watched her continue to check him over.

"Just to be sure as soon as we have our little fugitive here secure, I'm cleansing with hydrogen peroxide and putting some antibiotic ointment on," Iris cautioned with a slight frown. "I've got a first aid kit in my Bronco."

"Yes, ma'am," Jim said with a mock tone of meekness.

"You know I used to be a nurse so no nonsense, buster," Iris shot back.

She carefully placed the kitten into the box and secured the top, then opened the back of her Bronco and retrieved a small first-aid kit. Brass was leaning back against his car when she returned.

"Take off your shirt," she requested.

"Anything else you want to doctor while you're at it?" he asked with a wink.

"North or south of the belt buckle?" she countered as that shut him up for the moment. Using a gauze pad, she applied hydrogen peroxide to where the kitten's claws could have made contact with the skin followed by a thin layer of triple antibiotic ointment.

"Sorry, my chest hair's being a nuisance," Jim said with a thin smile.

"Not at all, I find it an attractive feature in a man," Iris replied nonplussed which surprised Jim somewhat because she rarely if ever mentioned dating or what she found appealing in the masculine gender. He'd wondered for a while after she came to Grissom's team what her preference might be merely out of general curiosity but Nick had assured him privately she was a "straight arrow."

"Thanks for the TLC," Jim said sincerely. "So what happens with my feline visitor now?"

"The kitten's been in the box for a few minutes now so hopefully it's calmed down. Let's interrogate our prisoner," Iris replied crisply as she brought the box out of the Bronco to set carefully on the ground. The kitten was very vocal now with frequent, loud low-pitched meows.

She reached inside and grasped the kitten by the scruff of the neck with one hand, then gave Jim the towel with the other if they needed to wrap the kitten up again. They both sat on the tailgate of the Bronco as Iris inspected Jim's stowaway.

"I thought so, Jim. This is a female domestic shorthair kitten about six to eight weeks old. She's not skinny and seems in good health. She's calmed down a lot and by letting us pet her we know she's been around people and might have been dumped nearby the station or perhaps even where you live. Your little miss has definite Siamese in her family background. Here, you can tell by the kink in her tail, her low-pitched vocalizations when meowing, and her eyes are a stunning blue but very almond-shaped," Iris surmised.

Jim had his own questions: "What's a domestic shorthair cat? Why would someone dump a sweet little cat like this? How do you know about Siamese? I'm not a cat person but she's letting me hold her and that's the loudest purr. That means she likes me, right?"

Iris found herself smiling at Jim while he held the kitten in one arm and stroked it constantly with the other hand. The kitten's purring sounded like a small outboard motor. She then answered Jim's queries. "A domestic shorthair is a mixed-breed cat, like a dog is a mutt. You might be a cat person and not even know it. This little girl seems quite taken with you. That's part of the Siamese trait in that they're very social and more dependent on their people, affectionate and intelligent, and tend to bond particularly with one person. I know because I had a Siamese cat when I was a kid. But we live in a throwaway society and if you don't want the responsibility just toss it"

"Um, like I said I'm not a cat person and not looking to be a cat owner," Brass declared as he watched the kitten rub its head delightedly under his hand for him to continue petting it. "I'd like to know how she ends up though."

"I'll take her to my vet at Petsmart. It's a little early but I've got his cell number and I think I can call in a favor. She'll get vaccinated and a thorough checkup, then I'll look into finding her an emergency foster home. She won't be adopted out right now, though," Iris told him.

"How come?" Jim asked, amused that the kitten protested now if he stopped petting her with a sharp meow.

"Black cats or kittens are never adopted out just before or right at Halloween. There are those out there who supposedly use them in bizarre rituals as well as those who just hate cats, period. That's why local shelters and rescue groups suspend availability of them until afterwards," Iris answered, reaching over the scratch the kitten behind the ears.

"Well, I'd appreciate you letting me know things work out," Jim said before he gave the kitten to Iris.

She put the kitten in the box and secured the top as sorrowful meows began to emanate from within. Jim took the opportunity to put his shirt back on. Iris came back him and took another look at his chest, insisting, "I want you to call me if you see any redness or streaking."

"I like the idea of having my personal nurse but I'll let you know," Jim promised with a grin.

"You better but I do make house calls," Iris merely smirked at him as she climbed into the Bronco and he into his Dodge Charger.

* * * * *

Later that afternoon, Jim had heard nothing from Iris and to say "curiosity killed the cat" was putting it mildly as he truly wondered how their little prisoner was doing. He was at home in the backyard relaxing and decided to call her. After several rings, he feared it was going to go to voicemail when she finally answered.

"Hey, Jim," she sounded frazzled to him.

"You okay? How's the kitten doing?" Brass asked, stretching lazily in his lounge chair.

"No, Little Miss has been a handful to be truthful," Iris answered as Jim heard barking in the background and then a shrill yelp.

"Who's Little Miss?" Jim queried.

"Well, she needed some kind of name so that came to mind. It's been a booger of a day. She got a clean bill of health from the vet. However, I had absolutely no luck trying to find her a place with an animal clinic or rescue group with a foster home. Everyone's full right now. So I figured I'd just bring her home here to stay with me and the dogs," Iris informed him.

"And how's that going over?" Jim wondered.

"The dogs are fine with her but the feeling isn't mutual. She's bit Cyrano on the ear and just nailed Durante on the nose. You heard him yelp. I can only imagine she had a very negative canine encounter so all dogs are the enemy. I've tried keeping her in a room alone but she won't have that and cries continuously and keeping her in the carrier freaks her out. We won't discuss her flea bath. I don't know what else to do," Iris sighed and Jim could hear she was at her wits end.

"I guess I could take her for a few days," Jim offered.

"Gosh, Jim, could you? I mean I've bought everything needed to take care of her with. By Monday we can regroup and get her placed in a foster home I'm sure," Iris was relieved.

"Sure, you want me to come there?" Brass queried.

"Let me bring her. We'll be there in thirty minutes. Can I get directions?" Iris requested.

After giving her directions and ending the call, Jim now wondered what he was getting himself into but he and Iris would see this unusual situation through he decided.

* * * * *

Thirty minutes later on the button, Iris pulled into Jim's driveway. She'd never been to his home before and found she liked the look of this older neighborhood. The homes were kept up and an older woman who must be Jim's neighbor was outside watering her flowers. Iris turned off the engine and reached over to grab Little Miss' carrier in one hand. She then reached behind her seat for a large canvas duffle bag. Fully loaded now with the kitten vocally protesting being in the carrier, she got out of the Bronco to head to Jim's front door. She paused a moment as she noticed the elderly woman peering curiously at her over her eyeglasses.

"Hello, I'm Iris King, a friend of Jim's," Iris introduced herself as she walked over the older woman with an outstretched hand.

"A friend?" the woman asked coolly in a British accent and kept her gardening gloves on.

"Yes, ma'am, we work together at the LVPD," Iris said pleasantly.

"**James** does not have women coming to his home at all hours," the elderly woman sniffed.

"I imagine not. He's actually cat sitting for me," Iris explained as she held up the cat carrier.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to appear unfriendly, it's just that James has not had a lady friend to call on him. My name is Felicity Chambers," the older woman relented with a thin smile and extended her hand in welcome.

"Pleasure to meet you," Iris said, "I better get going as my charge here is fussy."

"I hope to see you again," Felicity said with a cryptic air.

Iris nodded but had to wonder about the exchange that had just taken place before she knocked on the front door. Jim answered the door promptly. He quickly took the duffle bag from her as he admonished, "Iris, you should've let me get that! Where do we set up?"

Leaving Little Miss in the cat carrier in spite of her loud protests, Jim started to remove the articles from the duffle bag before Iris placed a hand on his arm. He looked at her curiously until she asked. "It's my first time to your place, so don't I get the grand tour?"

"Oh, holy crap, sure, but it's a 5-second tour at best," Jim said as she followed him.

To Iris it was a charmingly traditional older three-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-car garage but the best to her was in the backyard where Jim had a covered patio, swimming pool, and a koi pond nestled in one corner. "Jim, it's breathtaking out here. I love the koi pond and a pool you can swim in anytime you want. This beats the HOA townhome scene all to heck."

Brass was eating it all up. He rarely if ever had anyone from work to his home. He was something of a loner in that respect and liked his privacy. "Well, I want this be where I can relax and put work in the rear view. I try my best not to take it home with me anymore. It cost me in the past." His expression was pained and Iris opted only to listen and nod silently.

Shrill meows were heard from inside as Little Miss' protests reached a crescendo. Iris and Jim looked at each other in amusement before heading back inside.

Jim followed Iris' instructions to the letter. Kitten food and fresh water were set up in the covered patio and the screen door checked and securely shut. The kitty litter box was put in the guest bathroom. Different play toys were put on the floor for the kitten to entertain herself with. At last, Jim brought her out of the carrier and Iris placed a collar with her ID and rabies vaccination tags that jingled as Little Miss tried in vain to get it off. Brass and Iris found themselves laughing at her fruitless efforts.

The kitten glared at them balefully before she sprinted off, but the jingling tags would keep Jim apprised of her whereabouts. They could tell the kitten was exploring her new surroundings as the tinkling sound would be near and then further away as she expanded her search range.

Jim had Iris take a seat on his couch while he got some coffee brewing. She relaxed with eyes closed as she heard him in the kitchen and liking the cozy feeling his home elicited in her. It made her think she was at home herself in a strange way.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me!" Jim protested as her eyes flew open and she looked sheepishly at him. He handed her a coffee mug with creamer and sugar on the side.

"Thanks, you're the consummate host," she chuckled before taking a small sip of coffee. "This tastes heavenly!"

Jim sat beside her with his own coffee and for several moments they enjoyed it in companionable silence. Little Miss was emboldened herself and Jim was surprised to see the kitten come bounding across the floor to take a flying leap onto the couch. The kitten curled herself up beside Jim and yawned before settling herself in and beginning to purr when Brass tickled her under the chin.

"I met your neighbor, Felicity, on my way in. I think she was checking me out. She said that James doesn't have lady friends call on him," Iris said casually between sips of coffee.

"Um, she's been my neighbor since I moved here years ago. She's a widow in her mid-eighties and always tells me I should've been born when she was. She believes we're lost soul mates, you know ships passing in the night," Jim laughed. "I suppose that's why she's always calling me James but she means well and has good intentions."

"Well, I hoped I passed her scrutiny," Iris said. "Thanks for the coffee, I better head on out. Little Miss looks calm and cozy. I've got a lot to do to get ready for the trick or treaters, but I noticed you don't have any decorations up."

"No, I'm generally not home on Halloween. I guess I'll have to get candy tomorrow for the little munchkins," Brass considered.

Jim saw Iris' chin do a double sideways move. "Jim, I just had a scathingly brilliant thought."

Brass' eyebrow shot up as he asked guardedly, "Which is?"

"Let's join forces for Halloween since we're both off. I could come over tomorrow and we can decorate and dress up and hang out together…," Iris had started off in animated fashion and then looked troubled.

"What's wrong?" Brass asked.

"I jumped the gun, no pun intended, making assumptions about doing something together," Iris replied quietly.

"Well, I happen to think it's a great idea and a fun way to spend the day away from work. I'm game if you are so what's the strategy?" Jim queried with a reassuring smile.

Iris nodded in relief. "Leave it all to me. I'll be over here tomorrow morning around ten if that's okay."

Jim walked her to the door. "I'm in and ten o'clock sounds good. See you then."

As Iris headed back to the Bronco, she saw Felicity watching her leave. She raised a hand in farewell before pulling out of the driveway. Felicity continued her unwavering stare as the Bronco went down the street.


	2. Chapter 2

OCTOBER 31ST

Jim woke up and saw the time to be eight o'clock. As he turned over, he found himself face to face with the intense blue eyes that never seemed to blink, no make that nose to nose he thought as Little Miss touched noses with him followed by her motoring purr. In less than 24 hours she'd transformed from a little hellcat into a model citizen he had to admit.

Brass had anticipated a rough night with his new house guest but to his surprise things had done smoothly after Iris had left. Little Miss had caused him to laugh time after time during the course of the evening. She was a dainty eater but had growled warningly at him when he went to pour her some more kitten chow in the bowl, going so far as to place each paw in a possessive stance over the bowl. For all her bluster, he had merely pushed her back and she'd ended up winding herself around his legs demanding his attention.

Later on, as he was surfing the net on his laptop, he'd left long enough for the screen saver to turn on which was the Windows aquarium saver. He observed Little Miss to be totally engrossed by the fish "swimming" as she batted at the screen with her paw. Another thing he'd discovered about her was by accident when he'd been nearly tripped by a small ball on the floor. Exasperated, he'd kicked it to get it out of the way only to watch the kitten scamper off after it. To his astonishment, the kitten retrieved the ball and carried it back to him to set by his feet. Thinking this to be a one-time event, he rolled it again on the floor as the kitten raced after the ball and brought it to him. This happened three more times and Brass realized he had a feline retriever at least of balls. What other mysteries did Little Miss have waiting for him to discover he wondered.

"Okay, cat, er, Little Miss I guess it is, we gotta get ready before Iris gets here," he informed the kitten before he headed to take a shower and get dressed. Little Miss remained content to stay on the bed pillow she'd taken ownership of.

* * * * *

Iris again encountered Felicity as she exited her Bronco laden down with several plastic grocery bags. The older woman must do daily gardening Iris thought for she was again working in her flower bed. Felicity made her toward the Bronco as Iris made ready to take some bags to Jim's door.

"My dear you aren't a pack mule! James can help bring the rest in aside from what we take in," exclaimed Felicity without asking to help. She shouldered a few of the grocery bags and pointed Iris toward Jim's door.

"Really…I can…" Iris started to protest but Felicity ignored her.

Brass heard his doorbell ring and looked at his watch. Yup, ten o'clock on the nose and being punctual was something one could set their clock by with Iris because Jim had never known her to be late. As Jim opened the door with a great big good morning waiting to be said, he was surprised somewhat to see Iris and Felicity both on his doorstep.

"Your lass here tried to bring the whole Wal-Mart store in at once. Really, James, make yourself useful and bring the rest of the lot in," Felicity chided him.

His eyebrows cocked askew at hearing Iris being called his lass and he saw her frantic shrug and shaking head to the contrary behind Felicity. He said nothing and went past the women to "make himself useful" as he mumbled under his breath.

"What was that, James?" Felicity asked.

"Nothin', I'll get everything in quick," Jim replied, telling himself women had inherent sonar at their disposal for hearing. That ain't fair God, he thought.

Inside Jim's kitchen, Felicity and Iris were making quick work of Halloween and grocery items. Jim came in at last, huffing and puffing a bit, bearing the last of the Wal-Mart loot he jokingly called it. This elicited chuckles from Felicity and Iris before he told the women he was beating a hasty retreat to the attic to look for Halloween decorations. Iris found herself liking Felicity all the more as Felicity had told her about growing up in England and eventually moving with her husband to the U.S. and ending up in Las Vegas. They had moved into their home a mere six months before Jim had in 1979.

"You see, dear, Alex and I were childless. After he died several years ago, James began to look out for me as he would his own mother. He's become as dear to me as if he were my own son. I think he needs to meet someone special and I wonder if that could be you," Felicity said softly with a pat on Iris' shoulder.

"Felicity, Jim is a dear friend and I agree someone special would be blessed to have him that way," Iris agreed firmly.

After Felicity had left, Iris busied herself in Jim's kitchen and organized what she needed there after shifting the decorations to his living room. She could hear bumps and thumps in the attic and could only imagine what Jim was rummaging through to find his outside decorations. She'd decided to surprise him with a home-cooked meal during the afternoon, so she went out to the hallway where the attic ladder hung down.

"Hey, Jim?" she called up through the attic.

"Yeah, just a minute!" she heard him grunt and then a thud followed by a string of swearing oaths.

He peered over the edge rubbing at his head. Iris gave him a combined look of concern and curiosity. "I hit my head on a beam up here."

"Sorry, I'd kiss it to make it better but it'd probably turn gangrenous on you," Iris tried to joke up at him.

She was awarded a cocked eyebrow and grimace from Jim who, still smarting from the close encounter with the wooden beam, responded snarkily, "Probably so…what'd you need anyhow?"

Iris' eyes dropped and she felt chastened somehow but tried to shrug it off inside. "I was going to make a little mid-afternoon lunch or early supper for us and wanted to ask where you kept your pots and pans."

"What are you making?" Jim wondered.

"Baked haddock almondine, roasted new potatoes, fresh green beans, and apple crisp dessert," Iris said without looking up at him.

"That's a little lunch or supper? Um, everything you need is above the stove, there's a stepladder just inside the walk-in pantry. Do you need any help?" Brass asked now feeling contrite for growling at Iris.

"I'll manage. What about you with getting your decorations down?" Iris now looked up at him but with a neutral expression.

"Same here," Jim replied as she nodded and he heard her footsteps heading back toward the kitchen. You idiot he berated himself for getting the chance to have a decent home cooked meal for once instead of eating out or having to nuke a TV dinner. He was looking a gift horse in the mouth and could've kicked himself.

Iris found the stepladder and positioned it by stove. She clamored up and opened the cabinet doors and noted what she wanted to pull out…

Jim was bringing the last of the decorations down the attic ladder when a red alert sounded in his brain. The stepladder had a bad top step that turned the opposite way when you started to get down. He dropped the decorations and sprinted toward the kitchen to warn Iris, hearing a frightened squeal as he rounded the corner. The treacherous step had caught Iris unaware, causing her to begin falling forward nearly four feet, her arms frantically windmilling like a flightless bird to keep a balance she no longer had. Just in time he caught her and her arms wrapped instinctively about his neck. Startled brown eyes met with laughing blue ones.

"Sorry, Iris, meant to tell you that top step is a doozy on the way back down. Are you okay? " Jim chuckled, noting she still clung to him.

"You did that on purpose to get me in your arms!" Iris fumed at him but she was bluffing and they both knew it.

"There's worse places you could be," Jim shot back cryptically.

She flushed a brilliant pink and promptly removed her arms from around his neck as he slid her to the floor. Iris barely made it up to his chin, making her by far the shortest person in the whole CSI department. She replied in a self-deprecating tone, "Yes, I'm fine, thanks for making sure I didn't put a dent in your floor."

Jim wasn't sure what she meant so changed the subject. "If you'll show me what you need for the cooking, I'll get it down for you."

Iris quickly pointed out what was required and Jim reached them effortlessly to hand her. She made a slight face at that, bemoaning the fact internally about her being vertically challenged. As she arranged the cookware, he came up behind her and said into her ear, "Sorry I was being a grouch."

Iris stopped and looked up at him sideways as a faint smile tugged at her lips, "Gone and forgotten."

Little Miss decided at that moment to make an entrance with plaintive low-pitched mews as she wound around Jim's legs before he scooped the kitten up into his arms. Her purring filled the kitchen as Iris scratched her under the chin.

"So how did last night go, Jim? Can she stay until I get a foster home lined up after Halloween?" Iris queried.

"I'm thinking I'd like to keep her, Iris. She really livened my evening up. You should see as she struts through the place like she owns it. If you'd asked me a week ago that I'd have a cat, I'd of told you to get your head examined," Brass grinned as he now held up the kitten's ball. "Here, watch what she does!"

Jim took the ball and gave it a gentle toss. Little Miss took off after the ball and approached it sidestepping with her back arched and tail whipping excitedly before she pounced on the ball and returned it to Brass. Iris was chuckling at the kitten's ferocious tackle on the ball and Brass found himself joining her laughter.

"I've heard of rare cases of kittens or cats doing this, Jim, but I'm totally thrilled you want to keep her. I'm not surprised to hear that she's already calling this place home. She's obviously attached to you," Iris said. "Look, I'm going to get started on preparing things for our meal. Can you do the outside decorations?"

"I'm on it," Jim saluted and went to get what he needed to start decorating outside.

"Jim, can I turn on the radio in here while I start cooking? Do you mind if it's country?" Iris stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Yes to the first and no to the second," he replied.

"Thanks, my dear Captain," Iris said with a slight bow and a hand over her heart with a quirky smile.

* * * * *

As the afternoon progressed, Jim was putting up the last ghost to hang from the eave by his entry way and stepped back to view his handiwork with hands on hips. The lights would come on near dark and add to the spooky but fun atmosphere he wanted to evoke. There were tombstones set in the lawn. More ghosts dangled from the two Arizona ash trees in the front yard. Vampire bats were also suspended from other tree limbs and were flying about as well. A life-size inflatable Dracula swayed in the breeze that Brass couldn't resist putting up as well.

"James, the little ghouls and goblins will be lining up to come here," Felicity said complimentarily through her open window.

"Thanks, it's been too long since I had this stuff up," Jim said. He'd forgotten that Halloween could be fun. Since his divorce years ago, he'd just stopped decorating the house altogether. Christmas had been the other time he liked to haul out decorations but again the years had marched past since he'd last tried to even remotely celebrate a holiday.

"I smell something wonderful cooking," Felicity commented as she sniffed the air as she came outside.

"Iris is in there cooking up a meal. Would you like to join us or I could bring some over to you," Jim offered as he walked over to her.

"I wouldn't dare interrupt your having a young lady over," Felicity nudged him with a knowing wink.

"Iris and I are friends, Felicity, that's all," Jim insisted with a weak laugh.

The older woman merely said before closing her window, "Tsk, tsk, I think you don't see the forest for the trees."

Brass shook his head with a mirthless laugh before going back inside. Over the years, Felicity had tried to match him up repeatedly – the mail lady, the woman who read the gas meter, the woman who delivered the newspaper, and even a Jehovah's Witness.

* * * * *

Iris was bustling around the kitchen with the radio playing in the background. One of her happiest times was getting the chance to cook for others and the team loved it when she brought in a spread for them. This time was no different as she checked on the baking fish in the oven, then lifting pot lids to season or check the consistency of the vegetables. The aroma of fresh breadsticks added to the flavorful smells wafting through the kitchen. She found herself singing to the song now playing on the radio:

(What If It All Goes Right – Melissa Lawson)

What if that road that you're taking's a dead end  
What if love leaves you all jaded and broken  
What if that limb breaks you're climbing out on  
Yeah, what if it all goes wrong

But, what if it all goes right  
What if it all works out  
What if the stars line up  
and good luck rains down  
What if you chase your dreams  
and it changes your whole life  
Yeah, what if it all goes right

What if that road is a beautiful slow drive  
what if that love ends up lasting a life time  
what if that limb holds you, oak tree strong  
what if this time nothing goes wrong  
What if it all goes right  
What if it all works out  
What if the stars line up  
and good luck rains down  
What if you chase your dreams  
and it changes your whole life  
Yeah, what if it all goes right

What if you climb to the mountain top  
and touch the sky  
grab a cloud as it passes by  
you might fall you might fall  
but then again you might fly

What if it all goes right  
What if it all works out  
What if the stars line up  
and good luck rains down  
What if you chase your dreams  
and it changes your whole life  
Yeah, what if it all goes right."

As she finished singing the last word, there was clapping behind her and she turned startled to see Jim leaning against the door frame between the small dining room and the kitchen as he continued to applaud. Distracted, Iris pushed back at her fine bangs, feeling her cheeks getting warm but without a blush, as she smiled at him.

"Hey, I get dinner and a show," Brass chuckled.

"Take a seat, sir, Chez Iris is now open," Iris giggled with a flourish of seating Jim at his dining room table and presenting him with a cloth napkin.

In moments, she had the meal brought out and had Jim help her serve them. Jim's mouth was watering and the first bite of the baked haddock almondine literally caused a taste bud orgasm to occur. His expression of near ecstasy was the ultimate compliment to Iris as they continued to eat. Conversation was deferred to the meal and Brass ate till he thought he was going to burst.

A little later as he helped Iris clear the table and load the dishwasher, she commented, "Jim, you'll have plenty for leftovers here, maybe we could fix a plate up for Felicity."

"Great minds think alike because I wanted to do that for her," Jim replied appreciatively.

Iris had a generous plate and side bowl of apple crisp fixed up in a jiffy as she liked to call it. A look of alarm then flashed over her face. "Oh, my gosh, Jim!"

"What's wrong?" Jim asked.

"Do you have candy for the trick or treaters? I brought popcorn balls I made last night but I forgot the candy at the house!"

"No problem, I can run to Walgreen's and get it."

"Great because when you get back we've got to get dressed in our costumes!"

"You never did say what we were going to be."

"It's a surprise so hurry please."

Jim walked out to his car feeling a little pep in his step. Tonight was going to be fun he told himself and for once he wasn't going to have to be alone. He saw that Little Miss was in the front picture window watching him go and he saw her pink mouth open in a noiseless meow. He was amazed how quickly the little beggar had caused him to care about it. The Dodge Charger left the driveway with a faint squawk of the tires as Jim had to get there and back.

* * * * *

Iris was nearly done laying out the clothing articles for their costumes when she heard the front door open as Brass called out in a mock Bela Lugosi imitation, "Gooood eeeevening." He heard Iris giggling at him in the living room and headed there. Brass then saw the costumes on the couch and pulled up short.

"Are you kidding me?" he gaped. "I'm going to be Frankenstein and you the Bride of Frankenstein? I thought maybe with your fencing hobby you'd be a lady pirate or something."

"Hmm, a female swashbuckler sounds appealing but maybe next year. I think you'll like my choice though. I'll help you with the makeup! It's going to be a scream. The kids will love it!" Iris said animatedly.

"All right, I bought Walgreen's out in candy I think," Brass grinned as he pointed at several bags of candy.

"Come on, silly!" Iris gave him a playful shove toward the kitchen and indicated that he go sit in the breakfast nook where she had the make-up and wigs. Jim obediently took a seat to see what Iris had in store for them.

* * * * *

An hour later and Jim saw himself in the mirror as a convincing Frankenstein with green complexion and neck bolts looked back. Iris had found some wood blocks in Jim's garage he'd remembered having and she secured them to the soles of his boots with black Velcro strips. He then began practicing grimacing and making loud growls and doing the stiff lumbering walk of the monster with outstretched arms. Iris minced by in the sheet gown of the bride as she secured the beehive wig with a lightning bolt streak of white going from each temple to the top with bobby pins yet again.

Time was not on their side as they went through last-minute preparations before the early trick or treaters came. Brass popped in a CD with haunted house sound effects and other spooky noises to play by the door. Iris had made up a large bowl with assorted candy and small plastic bags containing her popcorn balls. Brass had reminded her that parents might be reluctant to accept the home-made treats for safety reasons. He'd seen Iris' sad look about that and her response that things used to be simpler when they'd been kids, he being only six years older than her.

Jim stepped outside long enough to set up a container up dry ice he'd bought along with the candy at Walgreen's to create a foggy appearance which would add to the atmosphere of the night. Felicity was on her porch putting up a scarecrow and spied Brass in all his Frankensteinian splendor. She gave him a wolf whistle and he responded with wiggling his butt her way as she laughed which was a throaty, raspy whiskey chuckle Jim had dubbed it before he waved at her and went back inside.

Jim was adding the last of the bags of the candy to the large black cauldron-looking bowl he had when the doorbell rang and they heard young voices chime the traditional "trick or treat."

"Showtime," Brass grinned Iris.

Through the course of the next three hours, Jim and Iris greeted their trick or treaters with Jim growling ominously as he literally burst through the dark door with a strobe light illuminating him for effect. The children's response was collectively squeals of fright, then Iris would step out hissing at Jim before telling him to mind his manners. Jim then lumbered out and immediately knelt with his big bowl of candy before their trick-or-treaters. One boy shyly touched the "bolts" on Jim's neck and asked if they hurt. Another little girl asked Iris what happened when "Mr. Frank", as she couldn't say Frankenstein, tried to drive a car did he scare someone and cause an accident. Kids right and left quickly overcame their initial scare and gathered around Brass to help themselves to the candy. The characters the children came dressed up as were just as varied: little girls arrived as Hannah Montana, Tinker Bell or Disney princesses, Jedi Padawan Asoka; young boys swaggered in as Indiana Jones, Iron Man, Batman, the Hulk.

One trio that caught Jim and Iris' eye in particular were in homemade costumes: one boy dressed as Dracula, another boy dressed as a ghost in shimmering white silk, and a little girl dressed like the wicked witch from the west with green facial makeup who convincingly cackled, "I'll get you my pretty" at Brass.

Little Miss unwittingly became part of the fun as she sat by a ceramic jack-o-lantern lamp in the picture window as children and parents spied the black kitten watching them. Her picture was taken as frequently as ones of Jim and Iris.

A mother who was dressed up herself as Mary Poppins got her digital camera out as she gushed, "You two look just fabulous! Can I take a picture of you two kissing as the ultimate monster couple – a real gruesome twosome?"

Jim looked at Iris. "You game?"

"Prepare to lip lock," Iris said with a challenging raise of her eyebrows.

They tentatively leaned toward another and slightly brushed lips as the woman snapped a picture. The woman then frowned slightly. "Surely the spark hasn't gone out of your marriage, you can do better than that?"

Jim cleared his throat and bit off a sarcastic response but Iris came to bat for them. "Honey, we can be more convincing, can't we?"

Brass said, "Let's make it count then, shall we?"

Iris found herself gently embraced by Brass, her head tilted just so as their breath mingled before his lips took her own. The kiss was intended to last a few seconds but instead lips parted as a more open-mouthed version resulted. Iris had closed her eyes without thinking about it and when they opened Brass was giving her little nose rub as the kiss ended. He hugged her to complete the effect for the woman taking pictures but whispered in Iris' ear, "You're a very good sport."

Iris was glad for the green facial make-up she had on with blue for shadow effects because she was blushing to beat the band.

It was now close to nine o'clock and it's been a while since the last round of trick or treaters when the doorbell rang and Jim made ready to growl and do his schtick again. Iris was poised to follow behind him. When Jim suddenly yanked the door open, there stood Felicity dressed up as a gypsy fortune teller. "Trick or treat! For a treat, I will tell your fortune. A trick on a gypsy foretells ill luck."

Jim's deep laugh was heard as he ushered in his neighbor. They had a dinner plate ready for her and Iris went to fetch it while Felicity seated herself at the dining table with Jim. Being serious about her part, she took Jim's right hand palm up and peered intently at it.

"I see many things happening in your future, James. Two females will vie for your affection soon," Felicity intoned in a reedy old Europe-sounding accent.

"Me? Two women at once, huh? I'll believe it when I see it," Jim snorted in disbelief.

"Watch, James, the future unfolds as it wills," Felicity insisted as Iris kept a neutral face when she returned with the plate for Felicity.

The older woman stood up slowly and Jim immediately rose to help her.

"Thank you, dear, I'll be on my way. I hope you two young people spend the rest of the evening together in a magical way," Felicity smiled benignly as Jim held the plate and walked with her.

"Iris, I'm going to make sure Felicity gets home okay and I'll be right back," Jim said before closing the door behind them.

* * * * *

Iris sighed softly and looked at the leftover candy. Her popcorn balls had proved to be nearly as popular as the candy but a few were left over. She quickly went to the kitchen and placed what she was taking home with her inside her purse backpack. As she was removing the beehive wig and patting her own hair back into place, Iris heard the door open and Brass walked into the living room.

"That was a lot of fun, Iris! I can't remember a better Halloween," Jim went so far as to give Iris a fond hug for emphasis.

"Well, my dear monster, it's time to get this makeup off and let some normalcy resume," Iris directed as she sat him in an overstuffed chair, got out some cold cream and proceeded to remove the makeup from Jim's face after he took off the flat headpiece that defined the Frankenstein monster. When his face was back to normal and to Iris' satisfaction, she told him she was going to go to the hallway bathroom to get her own green and blue face paint off and freshen up.

Jim had changed clothes after washing up and was seated on his couch when Iris came back with her backpack purse. Little Miss sat his lap but purring away contentedly. He looked relaxed when he didn't have to work and Iris liked seeing him this way. She went to pick up her denim jacket when Jim gave her a quizzical look.

"You're leaving?"

"Well, I know it's only 9:45 but I assumed you might be ready to call it a night."

"Stick around."

"What did you have in mind?"

"We could watch some horror movies I picked up at Blockbuster yesterday."

"Hmm, okay, what titles?"

"Lets see we have the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" and the "Saw" series, "Resident Evil" trilogy and for laughs "Young Frankenstein."

Iris plopped down beside him. "You know I don't turn into a pumpkin at midnight but there'll be talk if I'm here all night on this movie-thon and people see my Bronco in your driveway."

Jim mulled this over a moment before he leaned over at her with a suggestive raise of an eyebrow. "Let 'em or should we really give them something to talk about?"

"You silly rabbit," Iris giggled.

"I'll get the first DVD going. Can you make us something to drink and bring in something to snack on besides your yummy popcorn balls?" Jim asked as he went to his entertainment center to put the DVD in and get the TV on.

"Yes, O captain, my captain," Iris intoned before heading to the kitchen.

As they sat on his couch watching "Dawn of the Dead", the lights were off and during the genuinely scary parts, Iris would startle and found herself hanging onto Jim's arm for dear life. He chuckled at her as she crinkled her nose at him.

"Iris, we see this kind of gore everyday at work, what scares you?"

"It still spooks me and I guess I'm glad it does. I never want to be the point it doesn't affect me because when it doesn't, then that's when it's time to go in a different direction career-wise."

"Yeah, I feel the same, Iris."

During the second movie, this time "Young Frankenstein" for some levity, Brass found himself reminiscing. "You know Iris back in the day I'd be going to the local movie theater in Newark with a young lady on Halloween to go to the upper balcony with although watching the movie was the last thing on my mind which was focused on going for treats not tricks."

Iris saw his sly grin as he wandered down memory lane. "Like now?" Iris asked with a coquettish air.

Jim cocked his head at her as if seeing something different about her for the first time. "You know that was some kiss we swapped earlier tonight."

"You're a great kisser, Jim, not that I've had extensive experience mind you but it was very pleasant. I rate it a 10+," Iris said softly.

"I'm up to being back in Newark, you want to join me?" Jim said in a low, husky voice.

"Um, this could lead to something, Jim, and I have to admit I'm not against the idea," Iris said as Jim started to stretch out slowly and pull her along with him.

"I've had pretty vivid off-work related thoughts about you for some time but held off acting on anything," Jim said to her while placing a hand on her chest just below the hollow of her throat. He could feel the quickening of her pulse and the acceleration of her thudding heart.

"Me too," Iris whispered as he saw the sparkle in her eyes. "Let it be known, Jim Brass, that I'm not a one-night stand nor are my affections to be trifled with."

"Who's trifling?" Jim murmured against her throat.

"Why did we wait, why didn't either of us say something, why…mmpfff," Iris wondered but her line of thought was disrupted as…

Jim didn't give her the chance to finish her thought as he cradled her to him and let his lips tell hers exactly what he thought. Several delicious moments of this non-verbal communication followed including Jim discovering Iris had a vampiress side to her as she attacked his neck. Little Miss who'd been observing from the top of the couch opted for an interruption and pounced on Jim's side with a loud but strident meow.

"Jim, you taste like my popcorn balls. Hey, I think she's jealous, she won't allow you to be affectionate to another female," Iris laughed then gulped.

"What's wrong?" Jim wondered at the surprised look on her face.

"I just realized what Felicity said earlier and it struck me as odd given the moment," Iris replied with a furrowed brow.

"Oh, what she said about two females vying for my attention. Yeah, kind of strange now that you mention it," Jim said with a glance at Little Miss.

"She's a little mystery," Iris commented as she reached up to stroke the kitten's back as it arched under her hand in pleasure.

"That's it!" Jim said as he leaned up on one elbow.

"Um, I don't follow," Iris was confused.

"I've been turning it over in my head about what to name her. Little Miss was okay but she's going to need a name to grow with. Our jobs revolve around solving mysteries and how she came to be with me is always going to be one, so how about the name of Mystery," Jim said as the kitten nestled between them.

"I like it, Jim, pretty original name," Iris agreed as Mystery looked at her. "You both have very intense blue eyes."

Jim sat Mystery back up on the top of the couch and stretched back out beside Iris. "I think you're casting a spell on me, Iris."

She grinned up at him and replied flirtily, "A love spell?"

"Could be…now where were we?" Jim bent his head down to Iris as their non-verbal exchange resumed.

Mystery jumped off the couch and padded over to the picture window ledge where she hopped up by where the ceramic pumpkin gave off a soft glow and sat beside it. A large harvest moon hung low in the night sky and Mystery began to purr and caused Jim to glance at her. At that particular moment, it looked like a greeting card picture to him as Mystery and the pumpkin were centered within the background of the gold-orange moon. He could've sworn that the kitten actually winked at him with an ice-blue eye.

"Jim, everything okay?" Iris stirred beside him.

"Yeah, Iris, it's all good," he hugged her close, enjoying the simple contact of having her there with him.

Mystery's purring continued with its soothing cadence as if she approved of the couple who eventually dozed off on the couch.

END


End file.
